Russian President Vladimir Putin held a call with Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro, where he reiterated Moscow's support for Caracas.
The call was reported by Russia's state agency TASS, adding that Putin expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
Reuters News 11 Dec 2025
— Reuters Venezuela (@ReutersVzla) December 11, 2025
- RUSSIA'S PUTIN HOLDS PHONE CALL WITH VENEZUELA'S MADURO - TASS
- RUSSIA'S PUTIN IN PHONE CALL WITH VENEZUELA'S MADURO EXPRESSES SOLIDARITY WITH VENEZUELAN PEOPLE, CONFIRMS RUSSIAN SUPPORT - TASS
The call took place a day after U.S. forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, yet another escalation in the pressure campaign against the Maduro regime.
The seizure could make it much harder for Venezuela to export oil, Bloomberg added in its report, as other shippers could be more reluctant to load the country's cargo.
The outlet highlighted that most of Venezuela's oil goes to China through intermediaries and at steep discounts as a result of sanctions imposed by the U.S. on the country.
Members of the Venezuelan regime have claimed that the U.S.'s pressure campaign against the country is focused on seizing its natural resources. The Trump administration, in turn, says it's seeking to prevent drugs that leave Venezuela from reaching the country.
The regime, in turn, accused the U.S. of committing an act of "international piracy" with its actions.
"The president of the United States confessed to the assault of an oil tanker," the statement said, calling the seizure "a criminal act" and alleging it revealed Washington's true objectives. "It was never about migration, narcotrafficking, democracy, or human rights. It was always about our natural resources, our oil, our energy," the government wrote.
U.S. officials identified the vessel as the Skipper, a Guyana-flagged tanker loaded with 1.1 million barrels of crude. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the ship had been "used to transport sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran" and was part of "an illicit network supporting foreign terrorist organizations," citing investigations by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard. Bondi said the operation was carried out "safely and securely" with Pentagon support.
Despite the call between Maduro and Putin, regional analysts claim the former is increasingly isolated as Beijing and Moscow limit their support to rhetoric while focusing on other geopolitical priorities.
"He has little time left," said Fernando Reyes Matta, director of the Center for China Studies at Universidad Andrés Bello in Chile to BBC Mundo. "The backing he once had is no longer there in real terms, beyond certain rhetorical statements."
Reyes Matta also told the outlet that neither China nor Russia have shown willingness to provide the level of military support seen in previous crises.
Originally published on Latin Times
